The Second Viennese School Schoenberg

7/31/2019 The Second Viennese School Schoenberg

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TheSecondVienneseSchool Schoenberg,Berg,andWebern

ArnoldSchoenberg 18741951

FromVienna

Boughtviolintotrainearsincehedidn'thaveanymoneyforconservatorytraining;

cellofollowed.

Startedcomposingsongsinearly20'sandtookmusictoAlexandervonZemlinskywhointroducedhismusictoMahler.Mahlerfinancedpiecestobeplayed.FIRSTPERIOD:TONALMUSIC(until1908):

VeryRomanticchromaticbuttonal

"Gurrelieder":oratoriobasedonDutchpoem,took10yearstoorchestrate.There'sachorus,lotsofstringsandbrass,4partmalesoloists,soloists,andarhythmic

speakingpart(sprechstimme)."TransfiguredNight":2violins,2violas,2cellos;writtenforhishoneymoonat25

yearsold;expandedfororchestra

WasaJewinGermany,thrownout,cameandtaughtinBoston,livedtherestofhis

lifeinLosAngeles(exiledtoparadise)

SECONDPERIOD:"ATONAL"MUSIC19081923):Thinksthat"tonalityiswornout"andstartsusingchromaticismandwholetone

scales;movingahead="betterandbettermusic"

"TheBookoftheHangingGarden"aboutamanwhowatchesandwaitsfora

womantocometoagardentowatchfromafarwasn'twellreceivedinVienna,so

movedtoBerlin(draftedtothearmyforabit)andthengotagigarrangingata

nightclub)"PierrotLunaire"setof21songs(roworseries/serialcomposition)writtenfor

actressatnightclub,aboutclowntosaystruthsthatpeopledon'twanttohear

receivedencoreandtouredEurope

He"discoveredsomethingthatwillensurethesupremacyofGermanmusicforthe

next100years"in1923ForcedtoleaveGermany,reconvertedbacktoJudaisminParis,wifehasbabyin

Barcelona,movedtoCoolidgeCornerinBoston,thenmovedtoL.A.aftermeeting

AlfredNewmanandgettinganofferfromUCLA

THIRDPERIOD:"TWELVETONE"MUSIC(19231951):

"ASurvivorfromWarsaw"'reactiontohorrorsofWWII;usessprechstimme

"ThreeSatires"makingfunofStravinsky'sarticledenouncingthe12tonesystem

Pupilsofhis:BergandWebern

BelievedinNumerology(13isunlucky)andin1952,hediedonSeptember13th

whenhewas76(7+6=13)

AlbanBerg 18851935

VienneseStudiedwithSchoenberg

Progressivetonality(combining12toneandtonalmusic)

CombinedSchoenberg'srevolutionwithevolution:hadmoreofaRomanticquality

Goodwithdramaandlyrics

Wrote"Wozzeck":oneofthegreatestoperasofthe20thcenturyWroteviolinconcertoforLouieVasserofNewEnglandConservatoryinmemoryof

fosterdaughter


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AntonvonWebern 18881945

Viennese

StudiedwithSchoenberg

Insteadofpresentingathemeandsubject,helinksthecellstogetherusinga

melodyofchangingtonecolors(klangfarbenmelodietone,color,melody)

Wroteextremelyshortworks(entirepiecesmaybeonlyminuteslong)pointillismLessRomanticthancolleaguesLeastappreciated,understood,andplayed

dodecaphony/twelvetonemusic asystemofcompositionwhereall12chromatic

notesaresoundedasoftenasoneanother(devisedbySchoenberg)series/row(serial) alineofnotesinagivenorderthatareemployedin

compositionsklangfarbanmelodie usingmelodiesofchangingtonecolorsopposedtopresentinga

themeandsubject(usedbyWebernandSchoenberg)

TwentiethCenturyComposers Stravinsky,Bartok,Britten,Hindemith,

Prokofiev,Shostakovich

neoclassicism atwentiethcenturytrendwherecomposerssoughttogobacktotheclassicalstyle:order,balance,clarity,economy,andemotionalrestraint.

IgorStravinsky 18821971

Russian

19001917PRIMITIVISMORRUSSIANPERIOD

StudiedwithRimskiKorsakov

DebussyintroducedhimtoRussianBallet(BalletRuss)MovedtoSwitzerlandbecauseofwaranddecidedtoputtogetheragroupwith

otherwritersandartiststomakemoneyandtour

Usedcomplexmetersanddrivingrhythms,fussianfolk,polytonality,ostinati,

dissonances,andlargeorchestra

Importantworks:"RiteofSpring","Renard","TheWedding","Petrushka",and"Firebird".

19171951NEOCLASSICISMPERIOD

Usedsmallerorchestration,classicalformsandgenres,restraintofemotions

Importantworks:"TheSoldier'sTale","SymphonyofPsalms","Symphonyin3

Movements","OedipusRex",and"TheRake'sProgress"

"StoryofaSoldier":amanwhosellshissoultothedevil(pit,dancers,narrator,

actorsinvolved)

Afterwar,movedtoFrance(couldn'tgobacktoRussia)andcomestoAmericato

conductandtalkatHarvard

ImmigratestoUSAin1940andbecomescitizen,livinginL.A.(competitionwith

Schoenberg)CommissionedbyBSOtowrite"SymphonyofPsalms"basedonsoundsfromBible

19521971SERIALISMPERIOD

Occurredwiththedeathofhisrial,Schoenberg.

Famousworks:"InMemoriamDylanThomas","TheFlood",and"Requiem

Canticles"CommissionedtowriteaFanfarefortheopeningoftheLincolnCenterinNYC


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Bythistime,bebegantouse12tonesystemandpeoplewerenothappywiththe

piece(lessthan1minutelongand12tone)

BuriedoutsideofVenice,Italy

StravinskySchoenbergRivalry SchoenberglaunchedanattackonStravinsky's

musicwhenheturnedtoneoclassicism.Schoenbergrepresentedatonalityand

StravinskyrepresentedtonalityBellaBartok 18811947Hungarian

Virtuosopianist,graduatedfromconservatory

Traveledallovertheworldandcollectedfolksongsfromeasterneuropeanandnorthernafricancountries.Also,interestedinHungarianchordscales.

Heardquartertonesandinventednew(nowinternational)notationsystemandusedrhythmicandmelodicideasinhisownmusic

Composedalotofpianomusicand6stringquartetswhereheexplored12th

centuryharmony(neverused12tonesystem)

Wroteopera"Bludebeard'sCastle"

Wroteballets:"TheWoodenPrince"and"TheMiraculousMandarin"ImmigratedtoUS(NewJersey)andColumbiaUniversityofferedhimajobasa

professorofcomposition,butheturneditdownandtookajobinthelibrary.

Senttohospitalin1945,toldhewasgoingtodie,andtheconductoroftheBSO

visitedhimandcommissioned"ConcertoforOrchestra:afivemovementpiecethat

showsoffeveryinstrumentintheorchestra(hewenttofirstrehearsal,gotinan

argumentandleft).PiecewasahugesuccessBenjaminBritten 19131976

English

Startedcomposingattheageof6years

Pianistandconductor

Workedinopera,film,symphonic,concertosandotherstagemusicMasteroforchestration

Works:"SerenadeforTenor,Horn,andStrings",and"WarRequiem"

PaulHindemith 18951963

German

CametoUSduringwar

ProfessorofCompositionatYale

Wasabletoplayallinstruments,butalsoavirtuosoviolaplayer

Wrotemodernatonalmusic,oftenexhibitedconservativetendencies,intricate

linearcounterpointandclearstructure.

Wantedtogetridofthenotionthatcomposerswereremovedfromsocietyandwas

aleaderinbridgingthegapbetweenthecomposerandperformer(andaudience).Feltthatmoderncomposersshouldcomposeforamateurs(gebrauchmusik,music

forneedorfunction)

gebrauchmusik musicforneed,orforaspecificlevelofdifficulty(ex.high

schoolersorcommunity)

SergeProkofiev 18911953Russian

Begancomposingatageof5yearsandtaughtbyRimskiKorsakov


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Musicalternatesbetweenharshlydissonantandsimplediatonic;notedforbeing

wittyandbeautifullymelodic.

Commissionedforalotoffilmmusic

Wrotepiecesformusiceducation(introduceinstrumentstokids)"Peterandthe

Wolf"

StalincameintopowerinRussiain1917andbeganeliminatinganybodywhothreatenedhim,includingartistsImportantworks:7symphonies,"PeterandtheWolf","RomeoandJuliet(ballet)

DmitryShostakovich19061975

RussianStudentatconservatory:pianoandcomposition.Graduatedat19years

His1stsymphonygainedhiminternationalfameandrespectrightaftergraduatingCommunistrevolutionhappensin1917

1936:finishedopera,"LadyMacbethofMtsensk",thatbecameverycontroversial:

sexscene(Stalinsawoperaandleftduringscene,madefrontpageofpaper).

TargetedasapervertedenemyofRussia,sofiredfromprofessorjobatMoscow

conservatory,lefttogiginclubsWrites"ASovietSoldier'sReplytoHonestCriticism"andfindsconductortodoit,

BUTalawispassedthatnomusicisallowedtoendinaminorkey(falsehappy

propagandabygovernment)

WritesapieceaboutSoviet'scomingtoapartment/housesbangingdowndoorsand

killingpeople,andthenStalingiveshimhisjobback.

Inearly40's,StalinandHitlercometoagreementandHitlerattacksSoviet,GermansinvadeRussia.

ForcedtoevacuatewithfamilybyStalineventhoughhewantedtostayand

Leningrad(city)issurroundedandinvadedbyGermans

Finished7thsymphony(senttoNYC):"TheLeningradSymphony"

Citydidn'tfallbut2milliondied,andtherearesomestoriesofcanibalism1948:Stalindecidesartistduringwarneededtobecontrolledandforces

"him"/thiscomposertoapologizetocommitteeinordertonotbeanenemyofthe

governmentagain

1963:putspoliticalpoemtomusicasaSymphonyNo.10

Wrote15symphonies,15stringquartets

Knowstoriesbehindsymphony#5,7,and10

LaterTwentiethCenturyComposers CharlesIves,GeorgeGershwin,JohnCage,

LeonardBernstein,PierreBoulez,EdwardKennedy"DukeEllington,Karlheinz

Stockhausen,OlivierMessiaen,LucianoBerio,JohnAdams,SteveReich

CharlesIves 18741954

FromNewEngland.FatherwasinCivilWarbandandaftersettlingdowntaughtmanyinstrumentsinorchestras.Also,expirementedwithtuningandspacial

conceptsstimulatedsoninthefieldofmusic.

StudiedCompositionatYale.Metwife,Harmony,inNewYork.Startedinvestment

companywithfriend,MyrickandIves,andbecameamillionairegenerousto

strugglingmusicians.GotnegativereactionfromNYCcritics,somovedbacktoConnecticutonabigfarm

tocomposefortherestofhislife.


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In1950,LeonardBernsteinstumbleduponthiscomposer'sSymphonyNo.2and

wantedtoconductit.Harmonywenttopremiereandgotawildapplause.

Likedtouse"soundcollages"inhispieces,filledwithdelicateandharshnoise.

Wrote4symphonies

Once,anaudiencememberwasbooinghispieceandhegrabbedthemanbythe

shiftandsaid"takeyourdissonancelikeaman!"SymphonyNo.4:hismostambitiouswork,callsforagiantorchestraandmorethanoneconductor,veryrhythmicandconfusing.

Importantworks:"ThreePlacesinNewEngland","TheUnansweredQuestion"and

his4thSymphony.HenryCowellIrish

InspiredbyCharlesIvesandplayedinstrumentsfrominsideofinstruments:"TheBanshee"

GeorgeGershwin 18981937

American

Wrote"RhapsodyinBlue"andopera,"PorgyandBess"nowonBroadwaywitha

revivalcast.JohnCage 19121992

StudiedwithSchoenbergandCowell.WenttoUCLA.

Schoenberg:"John,Idon'tthinkyouunderstandthemeaningofharmony"

Cage:"Idon't,you'reright,andIpromisetoneverwriteharmonyagain!"

Beganexperimentingwithpreparedpianos,tamperingwiththeinstrumenttoget

differentsoundsoutofthestrings,inthe1930's

Notoriousforsilentpiececalled"4Minutesand33Seconds"

Wroteapiececonsistingofapianobeingthrownoutofawindow

SomesayhewasmoreofaphilosopherthanacomposerInvitedtoHarvardtogiveaseriesoflectures,buthadacomputermixuphelecture

"becausewearesointerestedincomputersrunningoutlives"

KrzysztofPenderecki 1933present

Polish

"ThrenodytotheVictimsofHiroshima"waswrittenin1960.Stringplayershaveto

playashighastheycan.Hehadtodevelopanewnotationsystemforthepiece.

Writtenfor52stringsandattheend,thereisaclusterof52individualnoteseacha

quartertoneapart.

LeonardBernstein 19181990

fromMassachusetts!

Composer,conductor,pianist,teacherWrotemusicfor"WestSideStory"

TerryRiley 1935present

Wrote"InC"

ResponsibleforSanFranciscanbirthofminimalism

JohnAdams 1947presentFromMassachusetts!

Minimalist


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StudiedatHarvardthendrovetoSanFranciscowithwife

GavealectureatHarvardandconfessedthatHarvardtaughthimwhathedidn't

wanttodo

BecameclosewithPhilipGlassandTerryRiley

Wrote"ShakerLoops"inthe1970'sforstrings

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The Second Viennese School Schoenberg